This morning by the San Diego River I saw huge bursts of yellow flowers. It’s late spring–that time of year when Hooker’s evening primrose blooms!
Enjoy some photos!
(If you’re curious about that little red structure in the last two photographs, it’s the USGS stream gaging station at Fashion Valley. It contrasts nicely with the reddish stems and bright yellows!)
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
A mural in Imperial Beach honors three heroes who made positive contributions to their Southern California communities: Tony Gwynn, Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle.
The mural was spray painted on the side of the Ace of Fades Barbershop by Los Angeles-based tattoo artist Tha Sloe (@sloe_motions) in late 2020.
Tony Gwynn, otherwise known as Mr. Padre, was a beloved baseball superstar and hero to all of San Diego. Lakers basketball superstar Kobe Bryant was a beloved hero throughout Southern California and beyond. Nipsey Hussle (Ermias Joseph Asghedom) was a rising hip-hop artist who promoted African American self-sufficiency, education, pride and unity, and an end to gun violence in Los Angeles.
I meant to capture all three heroes in one photograph, but a couple of vehicles parked close to the mural when I happened to walk past made that difficult.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
A marble sculpture by renowned American artist Manuel Neri stands near a sun-splashed fountain and bright colonnade in University City. The sculpture is titled The Renaissance Woman.
According to its plaque, the beautiful sculpture was placed by the corner of Shoreline Drive and Renaissance Avenue in 1990 for the enjoyment of the community and residents who live nearby.
A graceful, dignified form seems to be emerging from the block of white marble, which is encircled by flowers.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Yesterday I enjoyed a long walk in Poway. As I explored the area near Old Poway Park, I happened upon a San Diego County Library bookmobile. I took these photos.
I love how this bookmobile features painted images of diverse people reading, devouring the written word. Gaining knowledge. Activating limitless human imagination.
My own love of reading has only grown stronger with time. Experience has shown me that books are like windows that can be opened to previously undiscovered truths. They enrich one’s inner life.
When I saw the image of the boy pushing books in a cart, I had to smile. In middle school I worked as a page at a library shelving books. I can still picture that library–each room and each wonderful section.
One cool thing about being a library page was I could determine which books were showcased at the end of the shelves. There were so many fascinating titles, so many beautiful covers.
I could choose from a whole world at my fingertips.
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Back when I was a kid pushing carts full of returned library books, I had no idea that one day my own fiction would be read by people everywhere around the world. And that my short story, One Thousand Likes, would be included in a textbook by a major international publisher.
Much like a book, the pages of a life turn and strange surprises await!
To read my stories, click Short Stories by Richard.
Late this morning I was at the SDSU Transit Center during a Trolley Dances performance!
I captured these images of a dance that took place by the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, at the end of the pedestrian bridge that crosses over College Avenue.
As the mobile audience group arrived up the stairs from the underground SDSU trolley station, the dancers slowly took their positions, each providing the gathering onlookers with a small wave. It soon became clear to me the modest waves were the beginning of their dance.
The dancers began as individuals, performing small gestures in their own circle, seeming to prepare for a big moment together, but somehow shy. Sometimes they would gesture toward the audience, as if yearning for a joining.
Then came sudden magic. The dancers became one. They leaped, reached, swayed, strutted, energized by their joyful togetherness. And then came the victorious ending, when together they moved away into the distance, arms raised.
At least that’s kind of how I interpreted the dance.
What do you see?
Trolley Dances continues tomorrow only–Sunday–so if you want to experience this for yourself (plus three other fantastic dances, all near Green Line trolley stations), go to the San Diego Dance Theater website right now to find out more!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
This morning I walked around the north end of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. I wanted to check out the progress that has been made with the State Park’s big expansion.
Old Town’s new outdoor interpretative area is beautiful and appears to be nearing completion!
I took photos of the area under construction four months ago and posted them here. You can definitely see the progress!
This large plot of land where the old Caltrans building used to be–at the corner of Juan Street and Taylor Street–is being converted into an inviting space that is alive with native vegetation and historical exhibits. Visitors walking along various pathways will have the opportunity to learn about the life and culture of the Native American Kumeyaay people. The Kumeyaay lived here by the San Diego River long before Europeans arrived.
The California State Parks website refers to this outdoor space as Land of the First People Exhibit Area—called Iipay ~ Tipai Kumeyaay Mut Niihepok.
As I circled the construction site fence, I noticed many plaques have been installed. I’ll be eager to read them once this area opens to the public.
This is what I saw…
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
If you live in San Diego and love having a beautiful, lush garden in your yard, but also want to save water, there’s a fine demonstration landscape full of drought tolerant native plants, trees and flowers you can check out in La Mesa. The demonstration landscape can be found on two sides of the Helix Water District building at 7811 University Avenue.
I enjoyed looking at the demonstration garden last weekend and took photographs. According to a sign, water can be saved by not only planting vegetation native to the San Diego region, or well suited to our arid climate, but by installing a drip irrigation system under a layer of mulch to prevent evaporation. A smart irrigation controller can adjust watering times based on the weather.
Having such a WaterSmart landscape can help “beautiful plants and trees thrive on half, a third, or a fifth of the water a traditional lawn needs.”
If you can’t make it to La Mesa, go to the Helix Water Districts’ website and check out their Sustainable Landscape page here. You’ll find lots of great ideas, including numerous plants that you might use!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Have you ever climbed the Secret Stairs in La Mesa?
If you have, it’s an experience you definitely remember!
I had often heard about the Secret Stairs, so I decided to finally go check them out last weekend.
The photographs you’re about to see involve climbing the stairs on the west side of Mount Nebo, from Windsor Drive/Canterbury Drive to Summit Drive. Which amounts to 245 steps, covering three blocks!
At the top I turned around and took a couple photos. You can see how high I had ascended–an elevation of 830 feet!
Here’s a City of La Mesa web page that describes the Secret Stairs and links to a map. There are additional stairs in the neighborhood that you might like to explore. You can also see them on Google Maps should you perform a search.
If you decide to go for a climb, make sure to be quiet because many residents live nearby.
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I like the message in one newly painted mural that I spotted last weekend as I walked through Imperial Beach.
A lady surfer is catching a wave with a pod of dolphins, and written above are the words: “From the land to the sea, we are connected, you and me…”
This mural can be found near the corner of Palm Avenue and 3rd Street, on a wall behind the Pacific Realty parking lot. The art was created last month “for Katy” by Marissa Quinn (@marissaquinn).
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
A chicken with a brown belt in karate is pitted against flaming hot devils in this crazy City Heights mural!
The mural, which I believe was painted in 2020, can be found on the side of FireBirds Chicken at 4155 University Avenue. The restaurant opened in late 2019. The mural is part of City Heights’ growing collection of awesome street art tagged #TheAvenueMuralProject.
From what I’ve read, FireBirds chicken is the first Nashville hot chicken restaurant in San Diego. It is operated by two brothers who are UC San Diego alumni.
I know I like Louisiana fried chicken, so I guess I better head inside one day and give it a try!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Cool San Diego Sights! 